Woman seriously injured in crash hits out at cycling network

Sarah Wood needed surgery and her leg will be in a cast for six weeks after her bike collided with a car

Sarah Wood, who is a keen cyclist, was hit by a car while cycling to work

A keen cyclist who suffered serious injuries following a crash with a car has criticised Farnborough's cycle route network.

Sarah Wood, 59, from North Camp, was cycling along Park Road, towards Farnborough Main railway station, when she was in collision with a car turning between two vehicles parked in bays between the carriageway and the cycle lane.

Police are investigating the incident but no arrests have been made.

Ms Wood, who is a cycle instructor, secretary of the Rushmoor Cycle Forum and a campaigner for the Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC), fell on to the bonnet of the car on her right shoulder and right leg, fracturing her tibia, and needed surgery.

Her leg will be in a cast for the six weeks and she will need physiotherapy treatment, and possibly a knee replacement, in the future.

Sarah Wood broke her leg after being hit by a car while cycling to work last month

She said: “I don’t drive, I am green by choice, and my journey to work every day is a combination of bike and train.

“The section of road I was cycling on has a very narrow on-road cycle lane and I was going along the cycle lane with the kerb on one side and parked cars on the other side.”

She said: “At first I didn’t think there was anything wrong with me, and at the time I just kept worrying I was going to miss my train, but it was a slowly dawning process that my injuries were actually worse than I thought.

“The driver was very shocked and upset.

“The issue is that the infrastructure on Park Road is not good, they shouldn’t have cycle paths that aren’t wide enough. I was wearing high-vis and a helmet, abiding by the law, and using cycle infrastructure that was designed to help a cyclist and it didn’t.”

Sarah Wood fractured her tibia after being hit by a car while cycling to work and will be in a cast for the next six weeks

However, John Trusler, from Rushmoor Borough Council's traffic management group, said the cycle lane is within the minimum requirements.

He said: “The cycle lanes were put in place 12 years ago and the situation was the road was too narrow for two-way traffic and residents complained about the volume of traffic.

“During the consultation process for making the road one-way, cyclists raised concerns they would not be able to head south on the road because of the one-way system so a contra-flow cycle lane was put in.

“As far as I’m aware there have been no other incidents like this in the 12 years it has been in place, but the council is certainly concerned when anybody gets injured on our roads and the incident is being investigated.”

She has been editorial director of the online and print titles in Surrey and north-east Hampshire since 2007. Marnie previously worked at the BBC as a producer for 5 Live, having moved to national radio from BBC Sussex and Surrey.